How Do I Know Which Spill Kits to Put Where?

Correct spill kit placement is essential for pollution management. When considering spill kit arrangements, there are a couple of questions you need to ask: Where do I need spill kits? How many do I need? What type of spill kit is required? How big does it need to be? This blog will give you the tools needed to answer these questions.

Site Assessment

You need to identify your spill risk areas. Specifically, where they are, the risk type and quantities of hazardous materials. The best way to do this is to walk around the site, looking at all areas and asking questions of the people who work there to find out what activities typically happen there. You should look out for fuel, oil and chemical storage areas, refuelling areas, MHE charging points, loading/ unloading areas and anywhere of high vehicle movement. It can be helpful to take a floor plan and mark the areas of risk so you have a visual representation of everything. You can also assess any current spill kit provisions, making note of the contents, type, quantity and positioning.

Types of Spill Kit

There are typically three types of spill kit (read more in our fact sheet here). Chemical spill kits are specifically designed to deal with chemical spills and are usually yellow; oil spill kits deal with fuels, oils and hydrocarbons and are white and general kits, usually grey, can be used inside for mild spillages. Once you have assessed your spill risk areas, you can determine the best type of kit for each area and any additional equipment you may need. For example, soda ash, that neutralises acids would be essential in areas where strong acids could be spilled, like battery charging areas. You also need to consider how much of each spill kit you might need, informed by how likely the spill is to occur and the quantities of potential spill material that are in the area.

Spill Kit Placement

You will need to ensure that all spill risk areas are covered by the correct spill kit type. Looking at your annotated floor plan, you will need to make sure that spill kits are accessible, but also in convenient locations where they won’t get in the way. You don’t necessarily need to have a spill kit in each spill risk area, but they will need to be close enough to get to quickly. Spill kit bins are useful for easy manoeuvrability.

Your pollution prevention plan should include the deployment of spill kits. You should start with identifying spill risk areas and determining the correct spill kit type and size for those areas. You can utilise existing kit and order any additional equipment you need and put them in accessible places, in easy to identify bins. Once you have deployed your spill kits, it is important to check them regularly to ensure they are always ready for use.